Where Canada's boreal forest gave way to oil sands

An oil sands mining facility near Fort McKay, Alberta, Canada. In western Canada, the heart of the country's boreal forest, the pines and the people were long ago cleared out to make way for huge open-pit mines dedicated to excavation of oil sands. Photos: AFP

The acrid stench of gasoline permeates the air. And the soot coats everything in sight: The trees, the bushes, even the snow in winter. And all day long, explosions send the birds soaring to safety.

At Fort McKay near Fort McMurray in western Canada, in the heart of the country's boreal forest, the pines and the people were long ago cleared out to make way for huge open-pit mines dedicated to excavation of oil sands.